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Seven day s78/s174 appeal concerning one pitch for gypsy caravans on land in the rural area beyond the Green Belt but within the setting of a listed building. A new local plan was adopted during the course of the inquiry. It continued a policy accepting gypsy sites in the rural area beyond the Green Belt provided certain criteria were met. The local planning authority resisted the appeal on the basis of distance from services alone, even though it had previously resisted development on the site for landscape reasons. Local residents raised impact on the landscape and harm to the setting of the listed building, a medieval priory rebuilt as a gentleman’s residence in the nineteenth century. The residents also contended that the surrounding countryside, including the appeal site, had been laid out as parkland when the priory was rebuilt, and as such was an undesignated heritage asset. The Inspector found that there was harm to the landscape and the setting of the listed building but that the personal circumstances of the Appellant justified a personal permission. Richard Langham appeared for the local residents, the Friends of Rowney Lane.
